Men’s House

Ideally, recovering from substance abuse and addiction would be as easy as quitting cold turkey and never looking back. Instead, recovery is an ongoing process that lasts months and years as you rebuild your life and learn about your new self.

One thing that’s crucial for succeeding in that process is having a home environment that supports your recovery. If you live alone, then you might get lonely or have nobody to hold you accountable, and so be tempted to relapse. Living with people who aren’t supportive or who bring drugs or alcohol into the home can be even worse.

It’s especially hard to create a positive home environment for yourself when you’ve just gotten out of a rehab center and don’t have many options for places to stay. Returning to your old home can put you at risk of relapse, either because you don’t feel ready to be left unsupervised, or because you’re going back to sharing a home with the people who fueled your addiction in the first place.

That shouldn’t be a choice you have to make. If you’re a man in the Chicago area, there may be a better place for you in the Men’s Sober Living House in Crystal Lake, IL. Read on to learn more about what we do.

What Is Sober Living?

On the most basic level, the Men’s Sober Living House is exactly what it sounds like: a community of men living together in a home run by a house manager with the assistance of case managers.

That could also describe a rehabilitation center though, yet the Sober Living House isn’t rehab. You go to rehab for treatment, whereas Sober Living comes after treatment, when you’re getting back on your feet, planning your next move, and starting the transition into normal and productive life.

The 12 men that the Sober Living House supports eat family meals together every night, attend 12-step meetings together Sunday through Thursday, and have opportunities to go on weekend trips to various retreats, AA conferences, and fellowship activities. We also have group outings where we go to The Other Side, our sober bar in Crystal Lake, or go bowling, see movies, and more.

Having those constant opportunities for social engagement in a close and supportive community that understands the challenges of recovery is huge for those who haven’t found solid footing yet. Those are far from the only benefits to staying at the Sober Living House, though.

Employment Assistance and Other Services

The Men’s House additionally helps residents by providing employment assistance and other services to help them get back into normal life.

Every resident has access to case managers who can assist them with a variety of tasks. First and foremost, that means help with finding gainful employment. The case manager helps with putting together a resume and applying for jobs, and also has established relationships with employers in the community that can provide resources and opportunities.

Aside from that, the case manager provides help with other tasks including:

Navigating the criminal justice system

Paying off outstanding fines

Obtaining healthcare

Getting a driver’s license

Applying for school

Getting clear on your goals / plan

The case managers will work closely with each resident to guide them through these challenges and to offer up any resources and advice that’s available. They help residents develop their essential life skills, not just get by. Residents are encouraged to stay focused on self-improvement, and by addressing their long-term needs and not just their short-term needs, we hope to see them move through the Sober Living House and keep going in a positive direction.

As always in recovery though, all good things come with responsibilities. As a resident, you’re accountable to your case manager on a week-by-week basis. In addition to that, there are certain things that will be expected of every resident as conditions for your stay. These requirements may include, in part:

Staying sober the entire duration of the stay

Completing daily chores to help maintain the home

Employment or active pursuit of employment

Attending weekly or daily 12-step program meetings

Following a curfew

Staying considerate of other residents

Keeping your sleeping area clean

No relationships with fellow residents

No lending money to fellow residents

No weapons

These expectations are in place not just to keep the house operating smoothly, but for the personal benefit of each individual resident. Recovery is more than just quitting something. It’s a total restructuring of your life. Organizing your daily life with expectations, planning, scheduling—all of this helps you take control of that restructuring.

So if you or someone you know is a man in search of a stable environment for working on oneself while recovering from substance abuse or addiction, then the Men’s Sober Living House in Crystal Lake, IL might be the ideal option.